Never Saying Goodbye
by teddyshoney
Summary: Kurt is looking for a way to prove to Blaine that they will be together forever, even after Kurt's graduation and move to New York. Kurt doesn't think words are good enough to suffice, so he comes up with a better, much bigger way to prove his commitment to Blaine. *WARNING* Implied homophobia and mild sexual content This is another story I wrote for the 2018 Klaine Fic Exchange.


Prompt: Kurt proposes to Blaine before Blaine can propose to him. Prefer canon based, but can be AU

Kurt sat at his desk in his bedroom, daydreaming, his science notebook open in front of him. He wasn't doing any studying, however, just filling the margins next to his immaculately taken notes with doodles. And a name. One name. Over and over. Blaine Anderson-Hummel.

Here he was, two days away from graduation, and Kurt wasn't imagining what his life was going to be like in New York once he finally got that acceptance letter from NYADA that Blaine had assured him he deserved. He wasn't dreaming about all the things he would do when he was finally free to make his own decisions, all the clothes he would buy, how he would decorate his apartment. He wasn't even thinking about how annoying Rachel could be if he moved in with her. No, he was thinking about Blaine, about how hard it was going to be to leave him.

Kurt could clearly remember the hurt expression Blaine had worn as they'd talked about Kurt moving away. He could see how concerned Blaine had been that they couldn't handle long distance and their relationship might be over because Kurt was about to be a William McKinley High School alumnus. Blaine's eyes were always expressive, but that particular expression that he had worn that afternoon was haunting Kurt.

And his _The Notebook_ analogy? Kurt had meant every word. It was something he'd thought about often enough, even before he and Blaine were really an item. Kurt couldn't imagine ever being with anyone besides Blaine. He'd known from the moment that Blaine had dragged him down that Dalton Academy hallway by the hand that this was a hand he never wanted to let go of. He'd discovered a few moments later that those large hazel eyes were eyes he never wanted to stop looking into. And he'd decided from the first moment they kissed that he never wanted to kiss another set of lips. Blaine was perfect, their story was perfect, and Kurt was going to sit in the nursing home and tell everyone about it while Blaine sat by and chuckled at his adorable antics. That was their perfect ending to a perfect story, and Kurt wasn't about to let that go.

"I'm never saying good-bye to you," Kurt had told Blaine that afternoon. He was serious, but he felt like just saying the words wasn't enough to really convince Blaine. He knew Blaine believed him, of course, trusted him to never lie to him, but Kurt needed something bigger to let Blaine know how serious he was, and there was only one gesture that Kurt could think of that was big enough.

He was going to propose to Blaine. He, Kurt Hummel, was going to ask his boyfriend to marry him. Kurt wasn't sure when or how. He really didn't have very many details ironed out yet, but he had love and that was enough.

Pushing himself out of his desk chair, Kurt went to lie on his bed. He pulled out his phone and opened his bank account, checking the balance. Luckily for him, he'd been so busy getting ready for graduation and maximizing the amount of time that he spent with Blaine before he left for college that he hadn't spent his clothing allowance for the month. And, by some miracle, he hadn't spent all of his allowance last month either. With just about two hundred and fifty dollars, Kurt had enough money to make a decent sized down payment on a ring.

He smiled to himself as he logged out of his bank account, pulling up his contacts and calling Mercedes. She picked up on the second ring. "What's up, boo?"

"Hey, what are you doing after school tomorrow?" Kurt asked, jumping right in.

"Whatever you're about to ask me to do. I'm free," she said without hesitation.

Kurt took a deep breath. "Will you... go to the mall with me?" he asked.

"Last minute shopping spree?" she teased.

He smiled. "Sort of." Turning on his side, Kurt ran a finger over the picture of Blaine that he kept next to the bed. "I'm going to buy a ring for Blaine."

"You're what?!"

"I want to ask Blaine to marry me, like a promise that I'm never going to say good-bye to him." Kurt took a deep breath. He knew from listening to her rant about Finn and Rachel that she had a lot of strong feelings about teen marriage; he prepared himself for a battle.

"You know I love you, boo, but this sounds a little bit crazy!" Mercedes' voice was getting louder.

"I know. I know," he soothed. "We're still teens. But it's not like we have to get married tomorrow. We can enjoy a long engagement and get married when we're ready." He smirked to himself; Rachel had said something similar in the choir room not too long ago.

"You sure you've thought this through? Marriage is a big deal, Kurt."

He nodded, though Mercedes couldn't see. "I've thought about this since I met him."

"Yeah, but is that because you're all smitten with him, or because you actually have a plan. Because if you're just jumping into this, I'm going to have to say hell to the no."

Kurt sighed, though his lips curled up in a smile at the use of her catch phrase. "Mercedes, trust me. Everything is going to be fine. I've thought about it. I mean, sure, I want to marry him because I love him, but I also know this will work. I'm not jumping in blind."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, as though Mercedes were thinking about his answer. "In that case, hell to the yes! Let's go get your man a ring!"

Kurt let out a squeal. That had gone better than he'd thought it might. "Thanks, 'Cedes! I'm so excited!"

"Me, too! I can't wait to-"

"Don't tell anyone," Kurt interrupted. "I don't anyone to know about it until later. I'm pretty sure that with Finn and Rachel getting married after we graduate, my dad would freak out if he found out I was doing the exact same thing. Especially after I acted like I was so against it with Finn and Rachel."

A sassy "Mmmmhm," sounded through the phone.

"And, I guess I am sort of being a hypocrite," he continued, speaking more to himself than to Mercedes. "I mean, I told Rachel they were too young, and I meant that. Blaine and I are too young! But this is a completely different situation. I'm going to New York; Blaine has to stay here. Finn and Rachel are both graduating and can go together wherever they want. Plus, Blaine and I aren't getting married in two days. We're waiting, taking it slow. I'm just...proving that I'm serious. Right?" he asked, suddenly needing to validate his decision.

"Right. They can't handle marriage. I'd bet on you two before I'd bet on Rachel and Finn," Mercedes confirmed.

Kurt chuckled. "Thanks. And thanks for going tomorrow."

"You're welcome. I'm gonna go. I need my sleep. Even though I'm sure you'll be too excited, try to get some sleep, too, Kurt."

"I'll try. Night." Kurt pressed the end button and flopped back onto his bed with a contented sigh.

The next afternoon, Kurt and Mercedes pushed into the cool of the jewelry store and stopped to take it all in. There were cases around the whole room, and everything in them shone and sparkled. There was a case full of necklaces and bracelets, a case of earrings, a case full of tiaras which drew Kurt's attention immediately, and display cases along the edges of the room featuring rings, watches, and other things that Kurt couldn't even look at; he was overstimulated. He gripped Mercedes' arm tightly and breathed, "Where do we start?"

Mercedes let out a soft "I don't know," but before either one of them could begin to figure out their conundrum, a thin man with a pinched face and glasses stepped out from a small room at the back. "Can I help you," he asked brightly.

"I'm looking for a ring; an engagement ring," Kurt said, his voice sounding a bit hoarse as he stepped forward, toward the case that the man was standing behind.

"Oh, how nice. And is this the lucky lady?" the man cooed at the two of them.

"It's for my boyfriend, actually," Kurt replied, the shininess of the store beginning to wear off. The smile fell from the salesman's face at the mention of Kurt's boyfriend.

"I want something simple," he explained as he walked up to the man. "Something with a single diamond or something. And gold. I want a gold band."

The man shot him a frown, moving toward a case full of bands. Most of them were silver. "See anything you like?" he asked, gesturing lazily at the case, his earlier bright and eager personality gone.

Kurt glanced at the case, but he didn't see anything that really struck him. And Blaine's engagement ring definitely needed to dazzle him. "I'd like to find a ring in gold," he repeated.

The man waved his hand dismissively. "Anything can be made into a gold band," he said. He then proceeded to study his nails, acting completely uninterested in Kurt.

Kurt, however, was carefully watching the man and the way he held himself. After a few moments, the final straw came. The man began to yawn, barely able to stifle it with the hand he'd been studying for the past several minutes. "I'd like to speak to your manager," Kurt said firmly, looking down at the rings in the case one last time before looking the man square in the eyes.

The eye contact made the man uncomfortable, and he scrambled to find something to say to dissuade Kurt. "I'm-I'm sorry, sir. Let me show you something in gold." He quickly made his way over to an adjoining display case and produced a small, black velvet board that had a dozen gold rings sticking out from it. "Here we are, sir," the man said, his bright tone returning. "Which one of these do you like?"

Kurt did not even bother to glance at the rings. Instead, he yawned and studied his own nails, completely ignoring the man except for the pointed, "I'd like to speak to your manager."

The man swallowed. "Just one moment," he bit out, then scurried off to the back room, taking the rings with him.

Mercedes came up to stand beside Kurt and rested her hand on his arm as he glanced around the store. "He's being really rude. Do you want to just leave? We can go to another jewelry store."

Kurt shook his head. "No. I've seen things in here before that I've liked. That guy's just a..." But before Kurt could finish his thought, a shorter, pudgy man appeared, wiping at his brow with a handkerchief and puffing just a bit.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked as he waddled forward.

"Your employee was very rude. When he learned that I was looking to buy a ring for my boyfriend, he became very dismissive and wouldn't show me what I wanted to see."

The manager scrunched up his face in confusion momentarily, then smiled at Kurt. "I'm sorry. Richard's..." the man trailed off. "Well, Richard has been a bit of a difficult case. But I'd love to help you find a ring for your boyfriend. I see you've got gold here. Just let me put that away, and I can pull out the silver."

The manager made to grab the ring box, but Kurt held up his hand. "Actually, I wanted to see gold. This box was pulled out after I asked to speak with you the first time."

"I see. Well, do you see anything you like? We can make just about any changes to the ring you like when you place the order."

"Actually, I was wondering if you have anything I could pay for and take with me today. I'm actually looking to give this to him tomorrow, so I don't really have time to wait on an order." Kurt smiled apologetically. "I know this is a bit of an odd circumstance," he said, blushing a bit.

Mercedes squeezed his arm in comfort, but the man behind the counter did not seem to be ruffled by Kurt's request at all.

"Actually, you'd be surprised. I get that more often than you'd think. Give me just one moment." The man disappeared behind the curtain into the back room once again, and Kurt was left fidgeting. Now that he was about to see what he had come for, he was feeling nervous. What if he didn't like anything that the man showed him? What if what he picked was too expensive? What if they wouldn't let him do a payment plan? What if the ring didn't fit? Oh, God, he hadn't even thought to get Blaine's ring size!

He didn't have much time to worry. The man was already coming back out, two black boards in his hands, bigger than the one Kurt had seen earlier.

"These are all the unwanted diamonds," the man explained. "That doesn't mean there are diamonds in each piece, and there is nothing wrong with them; most of them ended up here because they never got picked up, or someone didn't like the design. We just call them unwanted diamonds because it sounds nicer," he said with a wink.

Kurt sucked in his breath. There were so many! How was he going to choose? His eyes began to roam over the rings in front of him, but he felt a gentle nudge from Mercedes, so he looked at her, confused. "What? See one you like?" he asked quietly. He hadn't imagined Mercedes actually helping him choose a ring; he'd brought her along mostly for moral support. But he supposed she might know what Blaine would like.

"These are the rejects, Kurt," she whispered in his ear. "I'm not sure you should buy a reject ring for an engagement ring. Wouldn't that be bad luck or something?"

Kurt grinned. "I don't think so. Blaine and I are gay kids in Ohio. How much more rejected can you really get?" He went back to studying the rings, pulling a few out of the board that he liked here and there for closer inspection. There were several beautiful options to choose from, but he put back everything that he picked up. Nothing seemed right. There was a gold band with two engraved hearts on the top that had him second guessing, but he decided that it was too generic. If he was going to pick out a reject ring for his boyfriend, he wanted it to be something a little bit showy.

Just as Kurt was about to ask if the manager had any other boards he could show him, after rejecting several rings from both boards, something caught his eye. It was a thick gold band, a bit thicker than Kurt wanted, but there was something sparkly just to the side of it, something he was sure that he'd overlooked before. With very little hope that he was going to like this ring more than the last several he'd put down, Kurt picked it up and turned it around in his fingers, sucking in his breath as he did so. Hidden before from his view were three little diamonds inlaid into the gold band, sparkling just a bit when the light caught them just right. As Kurt looked at them, he could see that they reflected tiny rainbow patterns onto the band on either side of the diamonds. "Mercedes," he said cautiously, turning to his best friend, "What do you think of this one?"

Mercedes took the band from him gently, turning it around in her hand slowly. "It's pretty," she replied, studying it. "And it totally looks like Blaine." She smiled widely at her friend. "I think this is the one, Kurt."

"That one has a companion piece, actually," the man behind the counter cut in. "There are two bands, designed to be soldered together." He indicated a plain band next to the empty slot where the diamond embedded ring had come from.

Kurt picked up the other ring and turned it around in his palm. This band was much slimmer, and as far as he could tell there was nothing special about it. It appeared to be a plain gold band. He was about to put it back in its place, but the man cleared his throat.

"There's something engraved on the inside of the band. I usually can't save rings with any engraving, but this one wasn't a name or anything. Just a phrase, if I remember correctly."

Kurt tilted the ring, moving it slowly so he could see the inside of the band. When he finally saw the engraved sentiment, he gasped. "Mercedes, this one is more perfect than the last one!"

"Why? How? That first one was pretty much perfect."

"Read it." Kurt thrust the ring at Mercedes, and she took it from him, tilting it toward the light in order to read it better. In small script, the engraving read, "Together. Always." She handed Kurt the ring back, a large grin on her face. "You're right," she said simply. "I think you should get both. You'll need a second one later anyway."

Kurt turned back to the man behind the counter, nervous now that they had to talk money. He'd just have to pick a simple band if the man wouldn't work with him. No other ring would ever compare to these anyway. "How much for the set?" he asked the man cautiously.

"Well," the man replied, leaning against the counter more comfortably as he spoke. "I usually sell ring sets for about six hundred dollars. But, since this one is a reject, I'll sell you the set for four eighty-five."

"Is a payment plan an option?"

"Afraid not. I've not had good experience with that in the past."

Kurt hung his head a bit. He didn't have four hundred and eighty-five dollars to pay for the rings right now. He sighed, looking down at the rings in his hand longingly. He'd just have to pick something else.

"I tell you what," the man said suddenly. "We do a layaway plan where we hold back a ring for you while you make payments. Then, when it's paid off, you can have the ring."

"I really need the ring tomorrow. I'm graduating from high school, and I was going to give it to him as a way to reassure him that I plan to make our relationship work, even long distance."

"Which ring do you need for tomorrow?" the man asked, watching Kurt's face as he smiled, picturing in his mind's eye what it would be like to propose to Blaine the following evening.

"The engraved band," Kurt replied without hesitation.

"I can sell you that one for one fifty. Then, if you make installment payments each month for the other one, I'll hold it here 'til you can get it paid off. I don't usually do things like that on these particular pieces, but there's just something about you; I don't want to see you leave here emptyhanded." He flashed Kurt a big smile.

Kurt didn't know what could possibly make the man think he was special, but he wouldn't argue. "Really?! Oh my gosh. Thank you so much!" Kurt was beyond excited. "Thank you!" he repeated. Once just wasn't enough to express how he really felt.

The man behind the counter smiled. "Oh, it's no problem, really. Come over here and let me get you rung up."

The following evening, Kurt was a mess. He was excited; he was nervous. One moment he was smiling and joking with the guests at his graduation party, the next, he was standing in a corner, observing, letting his thoughts run wild with concerns about his plan. He kept fingering the velvet box that the man at the jewelry store had given him. It felt nice and a little comforting beneath his finger, and he couldn't keep himself from making sure he was still there. He couldn't lose the ring; it was the perfect way to tell Blaine how much he meant to him, how much he was invested in their relationship, and how much he truly loved Blaine.

The killer was, he'd been around Blaine all day. They'd been prepping for his graduation party all afternoon, and now that the party was happening, there were a ton of people around, and he couldn't find the time to take a private moment with his boyfriend. He'd had to keep the ring that was burning a hole in his pocket a secret the entire day, because he wanted the moment he proposed to Blaine to be special, a surprise. The only problem was that Kurt had always imagined the moment, though usually the other way around, as an elaborate thing with a song and candles and friends. But, he hadn't had time to plan any of that, and a proposal of that nature would be hard to keep secret from his dad, something that was very necessary since Burt was all on edge about Finn and Rachel tying the knot at such a young age. Plus, Finn and Rachel were supposed to be getting married tomorrow, and as much as he was against them getting married right now, Kurt really didn't want to steal Rachel's moment. She was one of his closest friends after all, and she was marrying his step-brother.

"Hey, handsome," came a voice from behind him, and Kurt whirled around from where he'd been lazily staring into the bowl of punch, lost in thought, to see Blaine standing behind him looking adorable as ever. He was wearing a light blue polo with little bowties all over it, and a pair of navy pants with his boat shoes. His hair was parted and gelled as usual, and Kurt thought he was the picture of perfection.

"Hey you," he responded, giving Blaine a soft smile.

"Why are you hiding over here by yourself? Shouldn't you be out in the crowd, soaking up the glory that comes with finally being free from high school tomorrow?"

Kurt giggled. "I've soaked up plenty of glory today. It's like nine o'clock. I'm ready for some alone time, now. But, not completely alone," he said, pulling Blaine to him in a hug. Unable to hold back, he whispered in his ear, "I have a surprise for you."

Blaine pulled away from where he'd rested his head on Kurt's shoulder to look at his boyfriend's face. "A surprise for me? Shouldn't I be the one surprising you? It's your graduation."

"It's my graduation," Kurt retorted, a sly grin tugging up the corners of his mouth. "I can do whatever I want. Come on. Let's sneak out into the back yard. I don't think anyone will miss us." He hadn't really planned on doing this right now, but Blaine looked so damn cute that he couldn't wait anymore.

Kurt glanced quickly over his shoulder as they stole down the basement steps and out the back door into the cool of the May evening, flashing Blaine a smile when he caught his eye. It was a beautiful night; there were stars visible in the darkening sky, and the moon was large and full, casting a soft glow on everything. His hand grasped tightly around Blaine's, he led his boyfriend behind a tree at the back of the yard, out of sight from any prying eyes out the window or on the back deck. Without giving Blaine a chance to orient himself, Kurt had him pressed against the tree, his lips pulled into a deep kiss. Kurt explored his mouth deeply. When he finally pulled away, he smiled, listening as Blaine tried to catch his breath.

Blaine watched his boyfriend's face intently, a puzzled expression evident on his features.

"Blaine, I love you so much," Kurt began, eyes locked on Blaine's. "I've loved you since the moment you dragged me through Dalton Academy to watch you sing. And even though you couldn't see it then, I knew that you were the one for me. We've been through so much stuff together, and with each day, you just get more and more perfect. I know that I'm about to graduate, and I know that thought is terrifying for you; it's terrifying for me, too. I don't want to think about leaving you here, not getting to see you every day. I'm not happy about it. But I want you to know that I'm serious; I'm never leaving you, not ever, no matter how many miles apart we are. I wanted to get you something, something to show you just how much I mean those words, something that would let you know that I'm serious; I want you to be mine forever. So," Kurt paused to catch his breath, "Blaine Devon Anderson, will you marry me?" As he was speaking, Kurt had been working the tiny velvet box from his pocket slowly. As Blaine's name slipped from his tongue, Kurt dropped to one knee and opened the little box, never breaking eye contact with Blaine, whose eyes had begun to grow foggy as Kurt spoke.

When Kurt opened the box, the ring shone so beautifully in the moonlight; Blaine let out a tiny squeak, and it took all of Kurt's brain power to not jump up and capture his boyfriend's mouth in his own. Before he could make a move, though, or say anything further, he heard a tiny "Yes" fall from Blaine's lips in an airy voice that didn't really seem to be his own.

Kurt slipped the ring from its box and held it up to Blaine. "There's engraving inside; I know you probably can't see it, but it says, 'Together. Always.'"

"Together. Always," Blaine said, more breath than sound again.

"Together. Always," Kurt repeated. "Whenever you're sad or you miss me, I just want you to read those words," Kurt told him, standing up. Quietly, he pushed the ring onto Blaine's left hand, then claimed Blaine's lips in a gentle, sweet kiss.

But Blaine wasn't feeling gentle and sweet. Now that the meaning of what had just happened had hit his brain, Blaine was full of passion and desire. He grabbed hungrily at Kurt's face, forcing their lips together more roughly as he shoved his tongue into Kurt's mouth.

Kurt responded just as greedily, loving the way their tongues collided, the way their teeth nipped at lips and soft skin, the way their lips were firm against one another. The longer they kissed, the more he could feel himself growing aroused. He let out a moan when Blaine's hands sunk to his hips, pulling Kurt flush against his body, causing their already hardening members to brush roughly against one another. Even through pants, the contact felt amazing.

"You like that?" Blaine growled into Kurt's ear. He tortured Kurt a bit more, thrusting his hips against Kurt's a few more times, just to elicit the moans and hitching breath that caused heat to swirl in his belly. His pants were now too tight, and Blaine reached between them to undo his own button and zipper.

Kurt whimpered as he felt Blaine's hands nearing him, and out of pity, Blaine helped him out, palming Kurt through the material of his pants before dropping his hand. When Blaine's hand fell away, Kurt dropped to his knees, taking Blaine into his mouth and sucking for a moment.

It was Blaine's turn to moan in pleasure, and he dropped a hand to Kurt's hair, grabbing hold tightly to anchor himself. When Kurt paused for a moment, planting tiny warm kisses all around Blaine's exposed skin, Blaine swallowed hard. "K—Kurt. Hold...hold on," he bit out. His voice sounded scratchy. There was a pause then, "Thank you."

"For what?" Kurt looked up at him, confused.

"The ring is beautiful," he said, biting back a moan as Kurt's kisses moved to a more sensitive area. "It's perfect. And you're perfect. And...and the proposal was perfect, too. It—I didn't expect that, Kurt. At all." That was all he could manage to get out before Kurt's expert mouth returned to sucking. When Kurt paused again, pulling up Blaine's shirt to plant tiny warm kisses to his stomach, Blaine continued, his voice a bit wobbly. "But it was nice. It's good to know that you're that committed to this. I am, too. But, it will be really nice when you leave. I needed that."

Kurt paused in his kissing to smile up at his boyfriend. "I'm glad that's how you feel. That's what I wanted you to feel. I have to say, though, I was scared."

"Why?" Blaine asked, closing his eyes as Kurt moved his kisses lower.

"You're—we're just so young, and I've been so against Rachel and Finn. I was afraid you might think this was silly and say no. Or worse yet, feel like I was pressuring you into making a life-long commitment at 17 and resent me for it." Kurt didn't leave time for Blaine to respond. Instead, he took him into his mouth for the final time, letting the wet heat bring Blaine over the edge, Kurt swallowing every drop. As Blaine righted himself again, Kurt stood. Bringing his hands up to cup Blaine's cheeks, Kurt pulled him into a long kiss, letting his tongue run over Blaine's teeth and tongue, nibbling a bit at his bottom lip before pulling away. "I brought you another present," he said quietly.

"Wait," Blaine responded, grabbing Kurt's hands and pulling him in close until their noses nearly touched. "I need to tell you something. I would never think a proposal was silly, and you've never once pressured me into anything. I love you, completely, and I want us to be together. Always. If you hadn't proposed to me, I would have proposed to you. Maybe not tomorrow, but eventually. I'd plan a big show; all your friends would be there. There would be music, and I'd sing and-"

Kurt didn't let him finish. Instead, he drew him into a kiss, nothing fierce or demanding like the last kisses they'd shared. This kiss was full of passion, but there was also a tender sweetness to it. One set of soft lips against another, gentle and romantic. "You're perfect," Kurt whispered against Blaine's lips. "Absolutely perfect."

Blaine smiled. "So are you."

"That's why I brought you another present. Because I'm so perfect," Kurt replied, pulling away a bit, a coy smile on his face. He reached his hand into his pocket again, using his other to expose Blaine's palm, laying the new gift in it.

Blaine looked down. "What's this for?" he asked, holding up the simple golden chain that his boyfriend had given him.

"It's for the ring," Kurt responded, running a thumb tenderly over the band on Blaine's ring finger. "We have to keep this a secret for a while, honestly, but I didn't want to take the ring away from you. I want you to be able to feel it, look at it, wear it a bit if you'd like. And this way, you can keep it close to your heart."

"Cheesy," Blaine said, grinning. "But adorable. And perfect." He slid the ring off of his finger as Kurt opened the clasp, slid the ring on, then bent his head a bit as Kurt placed the chain around his neck and refastened the clasp. Blaine reached up a hand to brush the ring and chain lying against his chest before tucking them securely inside his shirt. "We should probably go back in," he sighed. "We've been out here for quite a while."

Kurt busied himself for the moment straightening Blaine's bow tie and adjusting his own clothes. "I suppose you're right. Let's go." He grabbed Blaine's hand and began to walk back toward the house. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks, turning quickly toward Blaine. "By the way, Mercedes went with me to pick out your ring. She knows. But that's it." Then, he began to walk back toward the house again.

Quickly and quietly, the two walked back up the dark basement steps and re-entered the party. Both tried to make it look like nothing had just happened, but neither felt like they were doing a good job. Every few seconds, one of them would lean over and whisper something to the other about a wedding idea or something they couldn't wait for after they were married, tuning out the party as if it wasn't happening at all.

Mercedes came up to them after a few minutes, a knowing smile sparkling in her eyes. "And what are you two talking about?" she asked, her voice low.

Both boys jumped, startled out of their personal bubble. "Mercedes! You scared me! I didn't hear you coming," Kurt exclaimed.

"Well, you two love birds are just over here, jabbering away at one another."

Kurt smiled sheepishly. "We're too excited!"

"Well, congratulations," Mercedes said, taking first Kurt and then Blaine into her arms for a hug. "I'm really happy for the two of you. But I better not be getting a wedding invitation in the mail any time soon, or I'm going to come find the two of you and kick your booties."

"Don't worry," Blaine said. "We won't be having the wedding until at least after I graduate high school." He glanced at Kurt out of the corner of his eye to see him nodding.

"Good," she said. "Now, I hate to break the two of you up, but if you don't want anyone asking questions, you'd better find someone new to talk to. At least until the party is over." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"You're right. I'm going over here to talk to Tina," Blaine said, turning away from the other two. He looked back over his shoulder, giving Kurt a grin before walking up to Tina's group, wrapping his arms around her shoulders to announce his presence.

Kurt watched fondly as Tina laughed, pulling Blaine around to join in their conversation.

"Hey, you. Stop watching your man and go find someone to mingle with. You can talk to him when everyone else goes home."

Kurt jostled Mercedes a bit as he pushed past her. "I'm going to go talk to Carole," he said, walking off. "Maybe she can get everyone to go home."

As the evening went on, Kurt found himself looking across the room at Blaine. No matter what he caught him doing, he couldn't help but smile fondly. This boy was going to marry him, and he could imagine no better partner than Blaine to spend his life with. Yes, they were young, but that didn't matter. He knew what he wanted. They were strong. They could make it through anything.

Once the last person stepped out the door, Kurt went to find Blaine, wrapping him in a hug and planting a wet kiss on his cheek. "I already asked my dad; you can spend the night tonight if you want to. And if it's okay with your parents."

"They told me when I left tonight that they'd be leaving town this evening for a business trip, so there's nobody home at my house. I'd love to stay the night with you. There's nothing better than going to bed with my fiancé. " He whispered the final word, placing a matching kiss on Kurt's cheek.

"Excellent. I'll tell my dad you're staying. You can go up to my room and get ready for bed." Kurt smiled sweetly at Blaine.

"Can't wait," Blaine replied, heading up the stairs. He turned around mid-way and grinned at Kurt. "When you get upstairs, I have a surprise for you." Then he turned and jogged up the last few steps, shutting the door to Kurt's room tightly.

Kurt smiled fondly as he watched Blaine's retreating form. If he'd said it once tonight, he'd said it a million times. Blaine was perfect. Doing simple domestic things like going to bed with him felt right, and it helped to settle the slight nervousness he still felt in the pit of his stomach. What could be better than being wrapped up in a warm embrace as he slept or waking up next to the love of his life each morning? He smiled fondly as he walked toward the kitchen to find Burt, daydreaming about what their life would be like. If this was what the future was going to hold, he couldn't wait to get started. Maybe there would be wedding invitations sooner than he'd thought.


End file.
